BMW R nineT owners are spoiled for choice when it comes to personalization options. The bike has been out long enough that every major player in the aftermarket industry now has an array of bolt-on bits for it. But if you want something truly unique, you’re better off turning to a pro?like Dirk Oehlerking.
Operating as Kingston Custom out of his workshop in Gelsenkirchen, Dirk isn’t known for doing things in half measures. So when a customer asked for a mild makeover for his R nineT, Dirk said nein danke.

?He wanted an ‘Option 719’ [BMW’s own range of high-end bolt-on parts] 9T,? says Dirk, ?and he thought of changing the seat and tank. However, this was not a challenge for me, and I felt it was too simple.?
?So I made a new appointment with the customer and we discussed the project all over again.?
Dirk had something entirely unusual in mind?a new riff on the art deco style that he’s applied to everything from older boxers to the BMW R18. The client loved the concept, specifying only the color scheme, and that the name ‘Platon’ be added somewhere.
It was a huge trust exercise too, because Dirk hadn’t completely figured out the finished design yet. He’s rather analog in his methods, preferring to use basic sketches as a starting block, then adapting his design as he goes about shaping up the final forms.

On this build, Dirk opted to leave most of the stock platform alone, and focus on the bodywork and accou...